The present invention relates to liquid dispensers and, in particular, to a bottle mounted pour dispenser for liquors and the like.
Bottle mounted pour spouts have long been used in the bar and restaurant industry, as well as in the home, for dispensing liquors in a controlled fashion and with minimal spillage. In its simplest construction, such dispensers comprise a cork including a formed pour tube which is bent to facilitate pouring into a drink container. A vent in communication with a bottle interior and the atmosphere facilitates the pouring.
The bottle vent may merely comprise a hole through the body of the dispenser. More elaborate configurations may also be employed, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,099 wherein the bottle vent is integrally formed with a unitary plug body and pour spout and is hidden beneath a flange portion of the dispenser. Generally, however, the atmospheric vent must be positioned relative to the pour spout such that liquid is not inadvertently dispensed therefrom as liquid is dispensed from the pour spout.
Although facilitating pouring and minimizing spillage, the foregoing dispensers require the concentration of the bartender or other user to meter a particular amount of liquid. That is, the dispenser provides for no volumetric regulation, but rather depends upon the eye-hand coordination of the individual to control same.
In this latter regard, Applicant is also aware of a dispenser including means for alternatively metering a predetermined volume of liquid or serving as a free flow pourer, upon rotating the pour spout. Metering versions of such dispensers are sold under the brand name POSI-POUR and the construction of which is believed to be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,113.
Generally, such dispensers provide for a pour tube having one or more fill apertures formed in the body of the pour tube interiorly of the bottle and intermediate the outlet spout and a pour vent aperture, also formed in the tube wall. A first check ball mounted within the portion of the tube containing the fill and vent apertures moves to and fro relative to fore and aft valve seats to meter predetermined amounts of liquid, primarily depending upon the size of the pour vent aperture. Free-flow action is obtained by rotating the pour tube to position a detent for restraining the first ball and preventing sealing against the forward valve seat. A second captured ball member mounted aft of the pour vent aperture cooperates with a second valve seat to seal the aft end of the tube while dispensing each predetermined volume of liquid and otherwise facilitating draining of the pour tube.
One drawback to the foregoing dispensers is that with each metering operation, the operator must rock the bottle back and forth to cause the ball members to evacuate the tube and then re-fill the tube with the next dispensing operation. Such extraneous movements can become aggravating, as well as irritating, due to the audible clicking of the balls within the dispenser. Another drawback is that, other than a predetermined volume and free flow, the dispensers do not permit a selectively variable adjustment of the volume.
A further shortcoming of such dispensers is that for screw collar mounting versions, the collars do not adjust for the varieties thread spacings and pitches commonly encountered. This further complicates the selection process and cost to the user by requiring a larger collection of pourers to accommodate the various different types of bottles.